Cuff link



July 12, 1938. x 2,123,790

CUFF LINK Filed April 27, 1937 Patented July 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CUFF LINK Application April 27, 1937, Serial No. 139,288

2 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to cuff links of the type described and claimed in Patent No. 2,052,437, granted to Harry G. Anderson and Edwin S. Mix under date of August 25, 1936, embodying a shank which is attached at one end to a rigid head and supports and controls at its other end a swingable head capable of assuming positions longitudinally of the shank and at right angles thereto. In such a link, the movable head when lengthwise of the shank permits of ready movement of the cuff button through the cuff openings while the movable head, when crosswise or transversely of the shank, prevents accidental withdrawal and holds the two portions of a cuff connected thereby in desired position.

In many instances, it is desired-among other things to release the button from one portion of a cufi without complete withdrawal from the other portion of the cuff, as, for instance, when the cuffs are temporarily removed, and for this and other reasons it is the primary object of the present invention to improve the cuff link of the above patent in respect to the manner of attachment of the shank with the rigid head, whereby the above advantage may be obtained.

To support the movable head and check its movements in lengthwise and transverse positions, it is most convenient to employ a shank having two resilient side arms, the free ends of these arms supporting the movable head or crossbars and the opposite ends being secured to the rigid head. Some consideration must, however, be given the connection of the shank with the rigid head, since the side arms must be secured in a manner calculated to avoid loss of their resilience.

It is also a consideration in thus connecting the shank with the rigid head to utilize means directly necessitating but a small area of engagement with the rigid head, since it is common with some links to employ rigid heads having relatively narrow bodies and thus presenting relatively narrow surfaces to connection with the shanks.

It is for the foregoing reasons that the present invention proposes the use of a member fixed to the rear surface of the rigid head in any suitable manner and providing for mechanical connection of this member at the adjacent end of the shank in order that the latter may be securely anchored with and rigidly attached to the movable head while unaffected by the use of heat in securing ;he connecting member with the rigid head, vhich would otherwise operate to the disadvantage of the resilience of the shank if applied directly between the latter and the head.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the present invention and forms a part of the specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of, the complete cuif link.

Figure 2 is a detail perspective view thereof with the several parts exploded.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the cuff link in -the position shown in Figure 1, showing a slight addition.

Figure 4 is a detail transverse section on an enlarged scale through one of the side arms of the shank.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view through the cuff link taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a similar view taken on the line 66 of Figure '3.

Figure 7 is a side view of a shank constituting a modified form, and I Figure 8 is a similar view of a modified form of post.

Referring now to these figures, and generally to the several. parts shown in exploded form in Figure 2, the rigid head l receives a connecting member II, the latter of which is secured to the adjacent end of the shank l2, and this shank in substantially turn supports the movable head l3 so that the latter can shift between positions lengthwise of and transverse with respect to the shank in the use of the cuff link.

In the present instance the rigid head In is shown in the form of a flat, generally rectangular plate whose front face may be suitably ornamerited and whose rear face is preferably provided with a centrally located depression M of a size to receive one end 'of the connecting member or post II. The depression l4 thus serves not only to properly locate the post I l with respect to the rigid head but also to hold the same firmly in position during connection of these parts and to permit of a better union between the parts especially where they are to be connected as in the present instance by hard solder l 5.

The connecting member or post ll may be of relatively small diameter so as to occupy but a small portion of the surface of the rigid head, and

is provided at its free end with a reduced cylindrical extension or pin I 6 adapting the same for connection with the shank.

The shank I2 is of U-shape and is provided in its bight portion or end with a central opening I! to receive the extension or pin N of the post I I, and also includes side arms l8 through which, adjacent to the free ends thereof, openings [9 are formed in aligned relation to receive the ends of a pivot pin 20 fixed transversely through the movable head or crossbar [3 intermediate the ends of the latter.

The inner surface of theblght end of the shank I2 is provided with recesses 2| grouped around the inner end of its opening I1 so that, in riveting or deforming the extremity of the extension or pin l6 through the opening l1, portions of the material of this pin will be causedto flow into the recesses 2| so as to thus-rigidly lock the shank in connection with the post I l and against rotation with respect thereto. This construction is plainly seen in Figure 2, but as shown in Figure 6, instead of the series of recesses or what may be termed serrations 2| around the inner end of the opening 11, the same result may be obtained by forming a square counterbore 2i to receive a' pivotal movement of the movable head under a pressure suflicient to unseat the bosses 22 from the recesses 23 in which they are normally held by the resilient pressure of the free ends of the shank side arms l8 against the sides of the movable head or crossbar I3.

It is obvious from the foregoing that by first attaching the post II to the rigid head, the desired resilience of the side arms of the shank I2 need not be impaired in its subsequent connection with the post by any particular means used for connecting the post to the rigid head. Thus the post I I may be secured, as explained, by hard solder to the rigid head, and the shank subsequently assembled upon the extension or pin of the post and riveted thereto as previously explained so that the shank will be rigid with the head ID and retain full resiliency of its side arms for the subsequent control of the movable head throughout the life of use of the cuff link.

Moreover, the post H forms a connection for the shank, between the latter and the rigid head, which is of reduced diameter with respect to the shank and which thus serves as a means for retaining the cuff link in one side of a cuff or through one opening of a cufl when it has been released from the other side or the other opening of the cuff, so as to prevent accidental displacement of the cuff link completely from the will.

The foregoing support of the link in one side of a cuff, after the other side has been released, may be further insured by interposing a disk 25 between the shouldered end of post II and the adjacent end of shank i2 asin Figure 3, disk 25 being of greater diameter than that of the shank end. Instead of thus adding to the number of parts, the post Il as seen in Figure 8 may be made in the first instance with an integral disk 25 in the form of a collar or flange. The shank itself may be modified for the above purpose by bending'the bight ends of its side arms as at 26 in Figure '7 to form lateral extensions of its base or bight end and thus materially increase its diameter at this point.

The connection proposed by the present invention is to the above extent particularly desirable from the standpoint of use of the cuff link, and in addition thereto forms an effective union between the shank and the rigid head,'which makes for ready assemblage of the parts and will be lasting and durable.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cuff link of the type including opposing rigid and movable heads and a resilient U-shaped shank movably supporting, at its free ends, said last mentioned head, a connecting post between and spacing the shank and the rigid head, having one end permanently, rigidly united with the rigid head and its opposite end riveted through the bight end of the shank, said post being of substantially reduced cross section as compared to that of the shank whereby the bight end of the shank projects laterally in all directions beyond the connecting post, and said post and shank having relatively engaging portions preventing rotation of the shank on the, post.

2. In a cuff link of the type including opposing rigid and movable heads and a resilient U-shaped shank movably supporting, at its free ends, said last mentioned head, a .connecting post between and spacing the shank and the rigid head, having one end in permanent connection with the head and having at its opposite end a reduced extension riveted through an opening axially of the bight end of the shank, and a disk carried by the post adjacent to said bight end of the shank and of a diameter substantially greater than the cross sectional dimension of the shank, said bight end of the shank having recesses around its said opening into which portions of the post extension project to prevent rotation of the shank on the post.

EDWIN S. MIX. 

